The Dark Side of Vocation

Monday, September 8, 2025

Happy Monday, my friends! Our chaplain at Sewanee, the Very Rev. Tom Macfie, was a fan of Fredrick Buechner and often quoted him including his statement that, “Vocation is the place where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.” While the word “vocation” became an alternative to “trade” or “career” sometime in the last two centuries (particularly in the case of a “vocational school” or “vocational education”), its etymology is in the Latin words for “to call.” A vocation is simply a calling, and the word is often used in religious and spiritual contexts to describe the sense that a person is called by the divine to a particular ministry or manner of life. Many religious leaders describe realizing their vocations as finding their “dream jobs.” But there is a dark side to vocations: they don’t always assure economic and financial security.

Reflecting on his early call to ministry in the movie Keeping the Faith, Fr. Brian Finn (played by Edward Norton) says, “My dad wanted to know if God paid dental.” Similarly, one of my clergy friends says that “God is great, but God doesn’t always pay well.” One of the realities of ministry is that despite your call and preparation—which in many cases can last nearly as long as lawyers, doctors, and therapists—you may need to work at least a part time job in addition to your ministry to make ends meet. Yes, there are many pastors and other leaders who are able to more than provide for themselves and their families with their salary from a church or organization, but there are just as many pastors and leaders who draw little or no income from their ministry and can be found in professions that have little or no relation to ministry. You may work with, live next to, or regularly associate with a pastor and not know it. One of my neighbors was more than a little surprised when, on a recent Sunday, she saw me in a clergy collar on my way to guest preach.

For almost four years, I’ve had the immense blessing of being able to follow my calling nearly full time as the Executive Director of LOVEboldly and for almost two years as the Pastor of Blue Ocean Faith Columbus as well. Clergy and nonprofit friends alike have reminded me of the special position I’ve been in supporting myself entirely on my salaries from these ministries. I couldn’t agree with them more. The last four years have been a blessing.

On Friday, LOVEboldly announced that due to funding constraints we are stepping back our operations and prioritizing the programs and resources that no one is currently offering. If you haven’t yet seen and read that announcement, please take a moment to read it by clicking here. As part of this change, I will be transitioning to an hourly position and fewer hours while remaining in my role as executive director. For the first time and starting today, I’m joining the corps of ministry leaders who need to secure another position to support their work in ministry. I ask your prayers during this season of uncertainty. There is a vulnerability and trust needed to weather these kinds of seasons. I don’t naturally possess though qualities.

Because vocation is situated at the world’s greatest needs, it can be difficult to acknowledge and attend to our “deep gladness” including meeting our basic needs. But without attending to ourselves, our needs, and our lives, we can’t give of ourselves to anyone or to any ministries. And that, friends, is the dark side of our vocations.

What is your calling, your vocation? How do you attend to your needs in the midst of meeting and fulfilling your vocation?

Let us pray: “Gracious God, you call us to serve at the intersection of our deep gladness and the world’s deep need, yet we confess our anxiety about meeting our own basic needs while answering that call. Grant us the courage to remain faithful to our vocations, even when they don’t provide economic and financial security. Help us trust that you see our struggles and our service. Give us wisdom to care for ourselves so we can continue caring for others and remind us that our worth isn’t measured by our ability to sustain ourselves through ministry alone. Be with all who serve in vulnerable positions and open the doors of opportunity. We ask this in the name of our liberator, Jesus. Amen.

Blessings on your weeks, my friends! Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Faithfully,

Ben +